FINAL DECISION: A love letter for fans of the Legal Briefs series, SIDEBARRED takes readers into the adjustments and joys of the happily ever after of Jake, Chelsea and the six children they are raising.

THE STORY: Two years of marriage have managed to be wonderful and yet things are changing again for Jake and Chelsea. They have managed to navigate raising six children and two careers. Happily ever afters are something that a couple has to keep working at and desires and wants might change as well.

OPINION: The story of a man who loves his wife, the children he has taken on as his own and his friends, SIDEBARRED does not take the route of creating unnecessary discord between Jake and Chelsea. Instead, this novella emphasizes how much these two love one another, their willingness to talk and work through their problems and the compromise essential to any good marriage.

This novella was not necessary to the series and one could read the series without it, but as a fan of the characters of the Legal Briefs series, I enjoyed spending just a little more time with these people. Having Jake be the focus of the novella was appropriate because having taken on being the father of six children, he has the most difficult road amongst all the characters of the series.

Fans of the series will be pleased to get an update on all the couples and the adorable McQuaid children. I loved the adorable epilogue to APPEALED but SIDEBARRED brings the series to a close in a sensitive, emotional and funny way.

WORTH MENTIONING: 17 years later epilogue.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SIDEBARRED is book 3.5 in the Legal Briefs series. It really should be read after the series because it depends upon readers knowing the characters, but at the minimum SUSTAINED should be read.

“Once upon a time she was my best friend. For a hot moment she was more. After that, she hated me. And then she was just . . . gone.”

FINAL DECISION: Managing to be funny and heartbreaking at the same time, APPEALED reminds us that we all make painful mistakes but that sometimes a second chance can be even better.

THE STORY: Brent Mason is a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. Now that all his partners are married, Brent is alone living the single life. At that moment, Kennedy Randolph re-enters his life. Brent and Kennedy grew up together. Friends, then almost lovers, then enemies, then nothing. An amputee at a young age, Brent has learned to keep his distance from people, but he always had a connection with Kennedy. Kennedy is now a prosecutor who arrives in D.C. just in time to be opposing counsel on Brent’s new case. Battling in each on the case and also the past, the two get a second chance to find the connection that has always existed between them even despite a 14 year absence.

OPINION: I read the three books in this series quickly because I found them unique, funny and yet incredibly emotional. What I loved about his book is that Brent has always loved Kennedy but he didn’t do the things he needed to do to keep her. Youth, immaturity worked to drive Brent and Kennedy apart and yet there has always been something to connect them.

Sometimes I think it is strange to read a book that consists only of the male point of view and yet I never failed to understand Kennedy’s perspective. As with the other books in the series, giving the hero’s point of view prevents him from appearing to be a jerk. I liked that I could understand his confusion, his pain and his motivation. Even as he sometimes does stupid things, I can appreciate that he is human and not being malicious. For example, at one point in the book he makes an ultimatum that Kennedy rejects. Brent ends up miserable and ends up conceding entirely to Kennedy’s viewpoint because he was wrong. I liked him better because I understood what drove him to make the mistake and then his ability to apologize and concede entirely. That makes him a strong compassionate man who I liked more because of his imperfections.

The characters feel human, real, fallible but their relationship is infused with joy. The battle of wills is good natured between these two. I like that their relationship always appears a connection of equals. Their courtroom fights were especially ones that I liked because I appreciate a clever legal tactic.

One of the best things about this series overall is how likeable the characters are. In addition, each of the stories is unique and doesn’t follow a standard formula. The challenges each couple faces is unique and yet the entire series is infused a hopeful attitude.

The book has a lightness, a freshness and an effervescence that compelled me to rush through this book. My biggest disappointment was that there isn’t a next book. I especially found the voice of this book, the writing and tone to be attractive. I’m going to try another series by this author to see if I enjoy it as well because this series was fantastic.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book includes an extended epilogue that will please those who have read the entire series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: APPEALED is the third book in the Legal Briefs series. It can be read as a standalone but also gives glimpses of series favorites for fans to enjoy.

FINAL DECISION: I love how this book is told from the hero’s point of view. The true journey to be made here is the hero’s and I like that I could understand and emphasize with him instead of thinking him a total jerk.

THE STORY: Jake Becker is a criminal defense attorney who “likes things a certain way”. He is disciplined and some say even cold, but in him lurks a reformed bad boy. When Jake’s freewheeling single life is abruptly halted he meets Chelsea McQuaid — a woman in need. Chelsea is raising her six orphaned nieces and nephews and one might expect that a large family has lots of crazy happenings. In fact, Jake and Chelsea meets when her nephew attempts to lift Jake’s wallet. Despite Jake’s desire to keep himself detached, he can’t help but come to the rescue of the McQuaid family again and again. Finding himself needed, Jake’s insecurities begin to reveal themselves and make the budding relationship between Chelsea and himself much more difficult.

OPINION: I loved the total baffling of Jake. He keeps getting pulled into Chelsea’s life and can’t figure out what is motivating him. I also loved how he falls in love not only with Chelsea but also each of the kids. For a book where six kids are a big part of the story, their characters and their connection with Jake are vital. He just feels like a good man who was looking for his place in the world.

I think it is essential to the story that it is told from Jake’s point of view. The book chronicles his journey and he is so often a jerk that only knowing his confusion and pain makes him a good hero. The book is a great combination of humor and deep emotional connection that feels fresh and keeps me wanting to read more of the series.

I really like how the characters in this series are good people with reasonable motivations. They make mistakes — especially the men — but they feel real and the kind of mistakes that can be corrected.

Lively, sexy and fun, I really enjoyed this book.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will be pleased to see significant appearances by the hero and heroine of OVERRULED.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SUSTAINED is the second book in the Legal Briefs series. It can be read as a standalone.

“You’re so stubborn — you’re so stuck in what you think is supposed to be, that you’re missin’ what’s right in front of you.”

FINAL DECISION: I book I put off reading because it has two things I really tend to dislike lawyers and a hero who believes he is in love with someone else — yet somehow I found this book compelling. I couldn’t stop reading it. My only complaint is that I wanted more.

THE STORY: Stanton Shaw, a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. is known as “The Jury Charmer” because he is a man it is hard to say no to. He has a plan for his life. Although he lives in D.C. his heart is in MIssissippi with his childhood sweetheart and their daughter. The two had a child as teenagers and although they were in love, they kept postponing their life together. Stanton, however, believes that they have a special and immutable connection until he gets an invitation to her wedding to someone else. Stanton is determined to go home and convince her to call of the wedding. He decides to bring along with him Sofia Santos who is also an attorney at the firm he works with. Stanton and Sofia have been friends with benefits neither wanting a more serious relationship. While Stanton works to recover his past love, he can’t seem to forget the woman of the moment.

OPINION: I’ve had this series on my radar for a while. People keep recommending the books to me, but I’m generally not a fan of lawyer books. Being an attorney myself, I often don’t find the tone and voice of the book to fit in my experience. Finally, this book had been recommended one too many times and I was looking for something new to read and I started this book with low expectations. And then I couldn’t put it down.

I was attracted by the tone of the book. The book begins with the first person narrative of the hero and then switches between the first person of Stanton and Sofia. This book is really Stanton’s story because it is his continued expectation of his relationship with his childhood sweetheart that animates the story. Although I am generally not a fan of stories where one of the characters believes themselves in love with someone else, I thought it worked here because of the first person narrative. Having access to Stanton’s thoughts gives readers an understanding of how he actually feels for Sofia and for the woman he insists he loves. I just had to smile at his blindness of his own true feelings. Stanton also is incredibly honest in recognizing his mistakes by the time he acknowledges he loves Sofia that I forgave him for his stupidity throughout the book.

This book felt deep and emotional and I felt so connected to the characters and felt their connection to one another. The book tackles difficult issues of first love and coming to terms with the loss of young dreams and I ended up loving it.

I give high marks to a book that was much more than what I thought when I read the description.

WORTH MENTIONING: Warning that the hero spends almost the entire book believing he is in love with his childhood sweetheart.

CONNECTED BOOKS: OVERRULED is the first book in the Legal Briefs series.